And Mr Abbott said while the government had passed about $20 billion in savings measures through the budget appropriation bills, "there is a lot of other work that needs to be done through the legislative process" before adding he was confident major budget measures will largely pass through the Senate.

Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens has weighed in to the impasse over the federal budget. Photo: Robert Shakespeare/Getty Images

The Prime Minister's comments come as the Australian Medical Association prepares to release its proposed changes to the $7 GP co-payment on Thursday, which is expected to outline a series of exemptions to the plan.

On the 100-day anniversary since the Coalition introduced its budget, Mr Abbott told Fairfax Radio 3AW that Mr Stevens' comments were "one of the more sensible comments about the budget in the last month or so".

"If you listen to the Labor Party it is the end of the world as we know it . . . we stand behind the budget measures, we accept that we have got to get it through the Senate and obviously that involves a conversation, a dialogue, a negotiation,'' he said.

"We haven’t given up on any of our budget measures."

In a separate interview on ABC radio, Mr Abbott said his budget was "not draconian, it's necessary. Many of the measures take effect gradually, it’s a budget for building as well as saving, it’s a budget for playing to our strengths as well as living within our means."

"There has been an almost hysterical reaction to parts of the budget, manipulated by the Labor Party of course, but I think the more the budget is carefully considered the more likely it is that most of it will go through," Mr Abbott said.

Asked if pensioners, for example, could face a lower GP co-payment, Mr Abbot said "pensioners are patriotic people, they know what it's like to run budgets, to run families and they understand that we have to live within our means".

In a subsequent press conference, Mr Abbott said the so-called budget crisis had begun to end when the Coalition had been elected.

“If you've got a fire, you've got an emergency but the instant the fire brigade turns up, the emergency starts to come under control,’ he said.

“This is a government that does understand that you've got to live within your means and every day since September last year we have been getting on with the job of budget repair.”

Labor treasury spokesman Chris Bowen said that 100 days after the budget had been handed down, the government was sending mixed messages to voters about the urgency of the task at hand.

“We see mixed messages and a confused strategy. Joe Hockey says there is a crisis that must be dealt with, Mathias Cormann says mission accomplished, we have passed enough of the budget. This has been a budget strategy that has lacked coherence and logic,’’ he said.

“And of course over the last 100 days we have seen the Treasurer get basic a facts wrong about his budget, we have seen the Treasurer insult the Australian people.”

208 comments

Mr Abbot said "pensioners are patriotic people, they know what it's like to run budgets, to run families and they understand that we have to live within our means".

Am I the only one disturbed by the nationalistic rhetoric here... "patrotism", "team Australia", these are alarm bells.

Commenter

tadswana

Location

Brunswick East

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:12AM

No you're not the only one tadswana - it is deeply disturbing. He is a master manipulator, the great deceiver.

Commenter

Libsareliars

Location

Orange

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:35AM

Get your "Team Australia" card today. Available to all good patriots at the bargain-basement price of $7 per visit to the doctor. Concessions to pensioners subject to negotiation. Hurry, limited budget stocks available now!

Commenter

Peter

Location

Carrum Downs, Vic

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:44AM

Exactly. The fact that Tony Abbott is taking money from the pensioners to give to the Upper Class Baby Bonus Fund is also very strange.

Commenter

Sharron

Location

Canberra

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:48AM

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel"

Commenter

MickP

Location

Parkside

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:50AM

It's jingoism, last straw tactic.

Commenter

A country gal

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:53AM

Meanwhile the big corporates are not required to contribute to Team Australia. Not hard to work out who is being dudded.

Commenter

bg2

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 9:56AM

Tony comb over is a clown. Good with two and three word quotes. I do not want to be part of his uncaring team. Does not care about pensioners aged informed or unemployed.

Commenter

Deucer

Location

Newcastle

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 10:00AM

Abbott’s Draco

Hockey’s budget scriptwriters Is not about you, just Abbott

Pension cops are out and aboutFrothing a cauldron of conviction

A $7 co-payment is at largeBy gold to banish the deficit

Tax break for the wickedA tax debt for the poor

Dare you defy a fair BudgetYou’re out of Team Australia

Commenter

Postgirl

Date and time

August 21, 2014, 10:04AM

Oh yeah, I'm just waiting for government sanctioned 'Freedom Fries' and an accompanying 'Patriot Act'.. Operation'Sovereign Borders', operation 'Bring Them Home', 'Team Australia', 'Lifters Vs Leaners', Patriot. Pensioners...seriously, this is the most dangerous and intellectually challenged government in our history. They have no legitimacy and absolutely no mandate whatsoever. An election won on rampant and deliberate lies and deception is not an election won, it as election and government with no democratic foundation or basis. It is the corruption of our democracy, not an example of it. Election now and make it a double!

21 Aug
The federal government has been taken to task by key crossbench senators for a confused budget sales job, as Prime Minister Tony Abbott signalled a compromise deal on the $7 GP co-payment could be in the offing to ease the burden on pensioners.